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This research paper outlines the priorities of South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency regarding climate finance, emphasizing the mobilization of resources for just energy transitions and the elevation of African concerns within the G20 framework, building upon the foundations laid during Brazil's 2024 presidency.

This research paper examines the potential economic and environmental implications of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for shale gas in South Africa, presenting three distinct scenarios to evaluate the trade-offs between economic growth and ecological preservation.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of the Life after Coal Campaign, submits that the draft South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) fails to sufficiently integrate gender justice. The submission highlights significant underrepresentation of women in South Africa's energy sectors—including only 14% in renewable energy and 21% in coal—and argues that without deliberate design and measurable targets, the transition will maintain existing inequalities. It recommends that SAREM explicitly elevate gender equality as a key outcome, implement conditional state support for women's employment, and provide dedicated financial and developmental support for women-owned businesses through mechanisms like the proposed Transformation Fund.

This research paper introduces a project by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) focused on the 'just transition' in South Africa and Brazil. It examines the need to reconcile climate action with economic development, specifically focusing on protecting vulnerable populations and addressing extreme inequality while shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The policy brief examines the tension between Africa's need for universal energy access and the competing influences of China's coal-focused Belt and Road Initiative and the EU's green transition strategy. It highlights 'hotspots' of coal development in countries like South Africa and Kenya, noting that social resistance and civil society can halt fossil fuel projects. The author argues that the EU can better compete with China by moving beyond technology transfer to support social innovation, transparency, and mutually respectful business relationships that prioritize local job creation and industrialization over aid.

Vietnam aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, targeting a 47% renewable energy share in electricity generation by 2030. While the country has integrated Just Transition principles into national strategies and secured a USD 15.5 billion commitment via the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), it faces significant gaps in governance, social protection, and workforce reskilling. The brief recommends establishing a National Just Transition Commission and expanding international finance to cover social dimensions beyond energy infrastructure.

The report examines South Africa's renewable energy landscape, highlighting the success of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REI4P) in attracting R195 billion in investment and creating 26,790 jobs. It argues that South Africa possesses world-class solar and wind resources that could allow for a 70% renewable energy share by 2040, reducing costs and emissions. However, the document identifies significant barriers, primarily the state utility Eskom's reluctance to sign power purchase agreements and a historical path-dependency on coal. It also discusses the rise of rooftop photovoltaics and the necessity of a 'just transition' to protect workers in the coal sector.

The report examines the role of state-owned power companies (SPCs) in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), noting they control approximately 50% of global power station capacity. Through four case studies, it explores specific transition elements: Eskom (South Africa) on just energy transition (JET), NTPC (India) on renewable energy deployment, EVN (Viet Nam) on grid integration, and PLN (Indonesia) on early coal retirement. Key findings highlight that while SPCs can lead low-carbon action due to declining technology costs, they are often hindered by high debt, fossil fuel subsidies, and a lack of comprehensive legal frameworks. The report recommends that governments mandate specific emission targets for SPCs, shift public finance from fossil fuels to clean energy, and that SPCs establish dedicated JET offices and improve data transparency to build stakeholder trust.

The framework, co-produced with COSATU, argues that South Africa's transition must be treated as a public good to avoid the risks of private financing, such as increased inequality and higher energy costs. It advocates for an 'eco-socialism' approach and suggests specific financial mechanisms, including a Climate Response Fund and the reorientation of Development Finance Institutions, to ensure the transition creates jobs and reduces poverty.

The Institute for Economic Justice argues that current South African renewable energy procurement, primarily through the REIPPP, has led to privatisation and temporary employment. It critiques the initial SAREM research for lacking analysis on trade dynamics and public ownership. The brief recommends a 'Green New Deal' approach featuring import tariffs, state-backed cheap debt, a formal technology transfer system, and the establishment of a municipal-based solar PV recycling industry to ensure a 'Just Transition'.

The report advocates for 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) as a mechanism to ensure a just energy transition. By requiring corporations to match their electricity consumption with carbon-free generation on an hourly and local basis, 24/7 CFE incentivizes a diverse portfolio of energy resources beyond just wind and solar, including next-generation 'clean firm' technologies. This approach is presented as a way to create high-quality, permanent jobs for dislocated fossil fuel workers, reduce local air pollution, and enhance grid resilience. The document aligns 24/7 CFE with the G20's Just and Inclusive Energy Transition (JIET) Compact and provides best practices for corporate buyers to maximize social and economic benefits through community engagement and equitable hiring.

The Illustrative People’s Energy Plan (IPEP), coordinated by WWF South Africa and modelled by the University of Cape Town, proposes an 'Ideal Energy Scenario' for South Africa to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. This scenario prioritises a rapid shift from fossil fuels to wind and solar PV, significant electrification of transport and industry, and expanded energy access for low-income households. The report argues that such a transition can nearly double employment by 2050 and maintain manageable costs through energy efficiency and localised clean energy manufacturing. It recommends that the government's official Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) be a transparent, living document that aligns fragmented policies and integrates social and environmental objectives as core planning outcomes.

The document argues that while a low-carbon future requires increased mining of specific minerals, South Africa must shift away from coal dependence toward a 'green industrialisation' strategy. It highlights how Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies can make mining less invasive and create new value chains in renewable energy components, while warning that automation and the abandonment of fossil fuels will necessitate large-scale worker reskilling to avoid social upheaval.

The Centre for Environmental Rights asserts that South Africa's transition from coal must go beyond energy shifts to encompass a radical restructuring of society. The author warns that southern Africa is warming at twice the global rate, making incremental change impossible. The document advocates for an "Open Agenda for a Just Transition" that integrates clean energy with food sovereignty, gender justice, and a new economic system based on human needs rather than profit.

The document examines the tension between South Africa's constitutional mandate to redress apartheid-induced inequalities through black economic empowerment (BEE) and its commitments under first-generation bilateral investment treaties (BITs). It analyzes the South African government's decision to terminate these treaties in favor of the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill (PPIB), noting that this unilateral approach creates reputational risks and potential legal inconsistencies with customary international law. By comparing South Africa's experience with India and Indonesia, the author argues that emerging economies can successfully carve out policy space within the international framework rather than abandoning it. The paper concludes that South Africa should leverage its unique history to influence the development of third-generation investment agreements while maintaining the signaling power and investor certainty provided by international regimes.

The report argues that South Africa does not need new gas-fired power generation until at least 2035, if ever, due to the falling costs of renewables and battery storage. It warns that current government momentum toward gas-to-power, including the RMI4P program and proposed LNG terminals, risks creating stranded assets and increasing electricity costs for consumers. The authors recommend a moratorium on gas-to-power development, focusing instead on rapid renewable deployment and energy efficiency.

The report details a 'Futures Dialogue' held in April 2025 between South Africa and the Netherlands, which used strategic foresight tools to reimagine Africa-Europe climate and energy relations. By employing methods like Causal Layered Analysis and the Three Horizons Framework, participants moved beyond traditional diplomatic scripts to address systemic issues such as extractive trade, energy poverty, and asymmetric finance. The dialogue identified pathways for green industrialisation, transformative climate finance, and a shift toward African leadership in climate governance, ultimately recommending that governments institutionalise 'anticipatory diplomacy' within their foreign ministries.

The document examines the industrial and trade policy challenges Africa faces during the transition to a lower carbon economy. It emphasizes that for the transition to be 'just,' Africa must move beyond exporting primary products and importing green technology to becoming a manufacturer of value-added lower-carbon products. The author highlights the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key mechanism for creating regional value chains for renewable energy components. The paper warns against premature trade liberalization and unilateral carbon-based import restrictions from developed nations, which it characterizes as 'green-washed protectionism.' It concludes that Africa should advocate for a Global Green New Deal that explicitly recognizes the right of developing countries to industrialize and receive real resource transfers for climate adaptation and mitigation.

The report argues that existing financing for South Africa's just transition, such as the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), prioritises private profit over social justice and is insufficient in scale. It proposes a cohesive framework anchored in worker demands and a new macroeconomic structure. Key recommendations include the creation of a Climate Response Fund (CRF) funded by carbon taxes and fuel levies, a shift toward 'promotional' monetary policy by the South African Reserve Bank to incentivise green lending, and the recapitalisation of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to provide long-term, patient capital for public goods.

The document examines the economic, political, and governance challenges hindering Indonesia's transition away from coal, emphasizing the need for multi-level governance and social protections. It highlights the role of artificial price caps and political 'lock-in' as primary barriers, while noting a significant gap in planning capacity between national and subnational governments. The brief recommends establishing a Just Energy Transition Support Facility under Bappenas, implementing economic diversification for coal-dependent workers, and reforming electricity markets to eliminate coal subsidies and facilitate renewable energy integration.